Chain diagnosis as a tool for yield ramp in advanced process nodes

Abstract

Scan chains form a critical part of the test structures on digital designs. Chain diagnosis is commonly used in early yield ramp to root cause process issues. Recent advancements in chain diagnosis can not only improve chain diagnosis resolution but also provide more directed and meaningful information for failure analysis and fault isolation. This paper covers the basics of chain diagnosis and some recent technology advancements in chain diagnosis that have been leveraged in advanced process nodes below 7nm.